


A Trinket

by Isnt_It_Strange (Caring_Is_Not_An_Advantage)



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Friends With Benefits, Gift Giving, Gifts, M/M, Potential for more, Stephen tries to reciprocate, Tony tries to be sweet, Tony's made a thing, Trinkets, i don't know how to tag, kind of, mentions of injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-24 06:15:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18565606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caring_Is_Not_An_Advantage/pseuds/Isnt_It_Strange
Summary: Stephen and Tony have been seeing each other on and off for months. Tonight, Tony presents him with a gift that has the potential to be a bit not good.





	A Trinket

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So, I have never written a MCU story before. This would be the first and I know it's probably got a bunch of mistakes, but I've tried. I hope that you guys enjoy, I'm sorry for any mistakes!
> 
> This was an idea my friend asked me to write out and I wanted to get it done tonight, so I've written it in one go. I hope she enjoys and anyone else who reads enjoys!
> 
> Until Next Time!

“Where are you going in such a hurry?”

Tony paused, his trousers halfway up his legs as he glanced over his shoulder at the man lying in his bed. He couldn’t see much, the moonlight slipping through a crack in the curtains and only illuminating a small strip of pale flesh otherwise hidden amongst navy sheets. For a second he debated what exactly he was going to say, but the sight of crystalline eyes sparkling at him in the shadows the lie died on his tongue.

“Was just popping down to the lab,” he explained, sitting on the edge of the bed and letting his trousers drop to the floor with a soft thump. “Wanted to grab something is all.”

The figure shifted, sitting up and letting the blankets pool around his hips as he tilted his head, eyeing Tony carefully. Seeming to not spot anything to disapprove of, he ran a hand through his hair and gave a heavy sigh.

“Is that my cue to go?”

“Don’t be dim, Stephen. If I wanted you to go I’d have asked you, wouldn’t I?”

Tony’s eyes glimmered in amusement as he watched the sorcerer roll his eyes, a smirk causing the corner of his mouth to tick upwards before he could stop it. Stephen’s quick flash of a smile was his reward and the little warm spot in his chest palpitated. He ignored it.

“Stay there, keep warm. I’ll be right back, alright?”

Stephen watched as Tony began to stand, observing with amusement how he was almost scrambling to get himself dressed. Steepling his fingers beneath his chin he waited, letting his eyes roll over the other man’s torso with a rather private smile.

They had been seeing each other like this for some time now. About seven months worth of evenings together; dinner, sometimes at the lab looking over some of Tony’s latest works, or more often than not ending up in either of their bedrooms. What they were doing wasn’t exactly _dating_ , though they hadn’t precisely decided to label this thing they had. How could they? With Stephen and Tony both leaving such different and dangerous lives it was deemed much more stable to not label things.

It was an unspoken agreement, but an agreement nonetheless.

The door swung open and Stephen resisted the urge to jump, having not realised Tony had already been and come back again. His fingers twitched against the sheets, as though ready to pull them up and conceal his naked chest until he appeared to get a grip of his senses. The engineer had a wrapped bundle in his hands, seemingly rather nervous as he looked from it to Stephen and took a deep breath.

“This is either gonna piss you off or make you happy and I can’t tell which yet.” He confessed, coming and climbing onto the bed to sit beside the taller man. He tried to seem aloof, amused by the potential of irritating Stephen a little, but his eyes betrayed his nervousness almost immediately.

“Well, get on with it then,” Stephen tutted, arching a brow when the bundle was thrust into his hands. He opened the cloth surrounding it carefully, studying the copper coloured devices in his palms. “What… is this?”

“You’re a smart guy, you’ve gotta have some kind of clue. Use your brain.” Tony prompted, keeping his eyes on the devices and refusing to meet Stephen’s gaze.

“An exoskeleton,” he replied with a curious hum, turning over the devices in his hands. “But… why?”

“Well, I know you had the whole epiphany about your hands, and you seem pretty comfortable with them as they are. But I heard how torn up you were when things got bad… I’ve seen your hands shake and the occasional angry rant you give when you think nobody’s listening. For someone so composed to everyone, you forget the walls can be pretty thin.” Tony rubbed at the back of his neck, his gaze finally flicking up to the sorcerer’s face to see if he was in trouble or not.

For now, Stephen appeared calm, perhaps even thoughtful.

That gave him hope.

“All those doctors gave it a go, I hope you don’t mind I took a shot at it when they messed up.”

Seeming bolstered by a false confidence, Tony took one of Stephen’s hands in his own and took one of the exoskeletons, slipping it over the top. He gave him a quick look to check if the contact was unwelcome, finding himself more than relieved to find nothing but curiosity on his face. Turning the hand so that it was palm-side up, he ran his fingers over a small button located close to the wrist and it was pressed with an audible _click_. The metallic structure gave a low humming noise, calibrating for the moment.

“Wait-.” Stephen finally spoke up, pulling his hand at last away from Tony’s and removing the device quickly. It was as though he had been burned, alarm flashing in his eyes as he held his wrist.

“What? What is it?” Tony sat a little straighter, worried for the moment he’d hurt him. “You okay? What’s wrong?”

Stephen raised a hand, shaking his head and biting his top lip as he thought about how to explain this. Thoughts ran through his head, rapid and brief and incomplete, before he took a deep breath and sighed with a faint smile.

“I appreciate the effort you’ve gone to, Tony,” he began with, watching his expression fall a little and the rejection in his eyes. _No, no don’t look at me like that._ “I just,” another deep breath, “I don’t think I’m ready for this.Not yet.” _Another failed attempt, after all this time I can’t face another one. I’ve come so far, please understand._

Tony seemed to think on what he said, nodding a little bit. Not yet… that wasn’t a never. Tony could handle not yet. He nodded a little and took the two items back, turning the one humming away off and smiling slightly.

“I get it,” he said at last, wrapping them up in the cloth he had brought them in. Then, he leaned across to the bedside table and shoved them in a drawer, trying not to let the anxiety he’d seen in Stephen’s face bug him too much. “They’ll be here if… if you ever want to try. I just thought, if this magic stuff ever spooks you too much, you could always try going back. Y’know?”

“Perhaps someday, Tony. At the very least, know I am grateful for the attempt.”

Stephen shifted a little, motioning for Tony to join him once again in bed and sighing as he watched him undress once again. Tomorrow, they would go back to their daily lives, the thoughts of each other at the back of their minds until they bumped into each other once more. Tomorrow, they would forget these nights in each other’s arms, or at least try to… until next time.

* * *

 

It was about a week later that a small portal had opened in Tony’s room, sparks flying as a hand came through and deposited something on the pillow the sorcerer had been resting upon those days before. It was a small pendant, a cool electric blue in colour, with a few markings of silver that couldn’t be distinguished. With it came a note.

_Tony,_

_One act of kindness deserves another and I hope that this trinket will suffice for now. Perhaps you can wear it tonight with dinner, I shall come by at eight o’clock to pick you up. There is something I think we should talk about. Something private, something personal._

_Until later,_

_Stephen Strange._


End file.
